La Vendée eBook

“Friends,” said he, addressing them from
the market-house, “we have saved ourselves for
a while from the grasp of the Republic. But for
the battle of yesterday, every one here would have
a brother, a son, or a cousin, now enrolled as a conscript
in the army of the Convention. Many of yourselves
would have been conscripts, and would have this morning
waked to the loss of your liberty. We did much
yesterday when we bound the hands of the soldiers;
but we have much more to do than we have yet done.
Already in Nantes and in Angers are they talking of
what we yesterday performed. We shall doubtless
have many friends in Nantes and Angers, but the Republic
also has many friends in those towns, and the soldiers
of the Republic are strong there. It will not
be long before they hurry to St. Florent to avenge
the disgrace of their comrades; and bitter will be
their revenge if they take you unprepared. You
have declared war against the Republic, and you must
be prepared to fight it out to the end.”

“We will, we will,” shouted the people.
“Down with the Republic—­down with
the Convention. Long live the King—­our
own King once again.”

“Very well, my friends,” continued Cathelineau,
“so be it. We will fight it out then.
We will combat with the Republic, sooner than be carried
away from our wives, our children, and our sweethearts.
We will fight for our own cures and our own churches;
but our battle will be no holiday-work, it will be
a different affair from that of yesterday. We
must learn to carry arms, and to stand under them.
You showed yesterday that you had courage—­you
must now show that you can join patience and perseverance
to your courage.”

“We will, Cathelineau, we will,” shouted
they “Tell us what we must do, Cathelineau,
and we will do it.

“We must see,” continued he, “who
will be our friends and our allies. St. Florent
cannot fight single-handed against the Republic.
There are others in Anjou, and Poitou also, besides
ourselves, who do not wish to leave their homes and
their fields. There are noblemen and gentlemen,
our friends and masters, who will lead you better than
I can.”

“No, no, Cathelineau is our general; we will
follow no one but Cathelineau.”

“You will, my friends, you will; but we need
not quarrel about that. Forte and I, with Peter
Berrier, will visit those who we think will join us;
but you must at once prepare yourselves. You must
arm yourselves. We will distribute the muskets
of the soldiers as far as they will go. You must
prepare yourselves. If we do not at once attack
the Republicans elsewhere, they will soon overwhelm
us in St. Florent. We will go to Cholet—­the
men of Cholet will surely second us—­they
are as fond of their sons and their brethren as we
are. Cholet will join us, and Beaupreau, and
Coron, and Torfou. We will go and ask them whether
they prefer the Republic to their homes—­whether
the leaders of the Convention are dearer to them than
their own lords—­whether their new priests
love them, as the old ones did? And I know what
will be their answer.”